The present invention generally relates to the authentication methods, and more particularly to the methods for authenticating an end user by a service, for instance a multimedia broadcasting service.
Given the wide choice proposed by remote multimedia providers, an increasing number of customers use remote services like video on demand or music streaming. Many service providers restrict their services to their customers. Registration and service use may be fared before the user is given access to the multimedia stream. Service providers may perform a user authentication, in order to bill the authenticated user for, the service. The service provider then leaves the user access the multimedia content.
One known authentication method comprises the following steps:
The remote service provider sends an authentication password (also named One Time Password), either by mail, by SMS or by display on the user's. TV screen through his decoder. By inputting it on his mobile phone and sending it back to the service provider, the user authenticates and validates the service billing as well. The service provider may for instance compare the password initially sent with the user input.
However, such an authentication method is considered as annoying by customers. The user has to pay attention when inputting a long and meaningless password; if he inputs a wrong password, he has to type it anew to perform the authentication. Moreover, since the user input has to remain user friendly, the service provider can only request the user to input relatively short passwords. Therefore, the security level provided by the authentication is relatively low.
Thus, there is a need for a reliable and user friendly authentication method.